Kathmandu, Nepal – Nepal Police have arrested high‑profile businessman Deepak Bhatta, widely described as a “power broker” with close ties to senior political and bureaucratic figures, in connection with a widening money‑laundering investigation. The move, carried out by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and followed by a 10‑day court‑ordered remand, signals a significant escalation in Nepal’s efforts to crack down on financial crime and politically connected business el

Crypto will be regulated in the UK from October 2027. The FCA is finalising the wider cryptoasset regime, with rules to be published this summer. Parliament has now confirmed which cryptoasset activities will fall within the scope of regulation. Building on that, the FCA is consulting on new guidance to help firms understand how they might be affected by the regulatory regime for cryptoassets. The FCA is seeking feedback on its interpretation of the following regulated crypto

Campaign 1 - Low SMR reporting by foreign bank branches in Australia AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said the foreign bank branches campaign found an entrenched view among many branches that their businesses are low risk for money laundering. “Although some parts of these businesses may constitute lower levels of risk, many of them have exposure to higher risks areas as well,” Mr Thomas said. This includes providing services to foreign politically exposed persons (PEPs) and rel

Federal prosecutors have indicted ten executives and employees from four cryptocurrency market-making firms in a coordinated international operation targeting widespread fraud. The charges, unsealed in Oakland, California, focus on schemes to artificially boost trading volumes and prices through wash trading and pump-and-dump tactics. Three defendants appeared in court after extradition from Singapore, marking a significant escalation in U.S. enforcement against crypto market

Four federal financial regulatory agencies have issued a joint notice seeking public comments on a proposed rule to overhaul anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) programs for supervised institutions. This initiative aligns with FinCEN’s concurrent proposal, stemming largely from the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (AML Act). The move aims to foster effective, risk-based compliance frameworks amid evolving illicit finance threats. Backg

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a joint proposed rule to implement provisions of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act). The proposed rule, which implements the GENIUS Act’s anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance program requirements, encourages innovation in payment stablecoins while providing an appropriately tail

Hong Kong Customs today (April 9) detected a case involving a local company that conducted a cash transaction for a watch containing precious metals and stones valued at over HK$120,000, while not being a Category B registrant under the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Regulatory Regime. The company director was arrested. The investigation is ongoing. The arrested person has been released on bail. According to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ord

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (10 April) that the Monetary Authority has granted stablecoin issuer licences under the Stablecoins Ordinance to Anchorpoint Financial Limited and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited for issuing stablecoins in Hong Kong. The licences take effect today. According to the licensees’ business plans, they intend to complete the necessary preparation work and launch business in the coming few months. Mr Eddi

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has reprimanded and fined Impression Investment Limited (Impression) $2 million for failing to diligently supervise its staff and maintain effective internal controls over staff trading activities (Note 1). The SFC has also prohibited Mr Liu Shan, a former director, responsible officer (RO) and manager-in-charge of Impression, from re-entering the industry for eight months from 2 April 2026 to 1 December 2026 (Notes 2 to 3). The SFC